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It’s got their name on it…

DIY websites – why not?

For some time now WIX have been pushing their web design packages as the quick, easy and inexpensive option when you’re looking for a new website. But is the build-your-own route as good at it might first appear?

On the plus side, the drag and drop GUI is a cut above the rest and provides a simple to use platform for positioning website content. They offer nice dynamic templates and provide lots of choice in this area. By all accounts, their support is also pretty good.

However…
Should you wish to change the look and layout of your site in the future, you can’t just drop a new template onto your existing content. You’ll need to start again from scratch with a new project.

WIX sites are not truly responsive. Websites do not automatically adjust for screen size and you’ll need to play around with positioning and layout to come up with something that looks good on mobile. In essence, the editor just creates two sites – one for desktop and one for mobile devices.

Don’t expect to have yourself a nice, clean URL at which to direct your customers. No mybusiness.com for you. WIX website URLS include the #! hashbang which means the site is served via Javascript and therefore isn’t readable by Google. The free version will give you something like www.mybusiness.wix.com/#!mybusiness which won’t look quite as snappy on your business cards.

Perhaps the biggest issue, however, is the lack of professionalism a WIX site conveys. The free version of WIX contains a substantial advertising banner in it’s footer. This serves to detract the viewer from your core content, tell everyone that you are too cheap to spend a bit of money on a proper website and conveys a sense of the amateur. Which tends not to be a big plus in business.